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Today is the first day on the Raiders Wire’s countdown to the Oakland Raiders’ training camp which begins on July 24. Until that day, we will count down the best Raider to wear the No. 26 down to the No. 1, which will be on the day training camp begins.

Currently, No. 26 is worn by Raiders rookie safety Shalom Luani, however, the former soccer star is not the greatest Oakland player to wear No. 26 as he hasn’t played a down in the NFL.

Instead, former Raiders running back Napoleon Kaufman should be considered the best No. 26 in franchise history.

He began his career as a first-round selection in the 1995 NFL draft out of the University of Washington. Kaufman played in 91 games as a Raider, started in 46, ran for 4,792 yards while averaging close to 4.9 yards per carry and scored 12 touchdowns placing him as the franchise’s fourth-leading rusher.

He also holds the team record for most rushing yards in a game with 227.

In addition, Kaufman was impressive out of the backfield hauling in 127 receptions for 1,107 yards and five touchdowns.

Kaufman may not have been the best player to wear No. 26 as former Raiders safety Rod Woodson donned it for two seasons, but Kaufman was great for a longer stretch (1995-2000) in the Silver and Black earning him the great honor of being the best No. 26 in Raiders’ history.

Ryan is currently a student at the University of North Carolina. He grew up in the Bay Area and has had Raiders season tickets his entire life fostering his love for the NFL. He has founded his own sports website, thejrreport.com and works at the Sports Desk for the Daily Tar Heel. You can follow Ryan on twitter @rytime98 if you want to discuss anything sports.